Vegetarian Tequila Berry Salad

by Kelly on August 12, 2009

Time for yet another summery recipe. Today I had a wild craving for a mayonnaise-based salad. Some might say that calling this a summer food is a stretch, but in my mind a picnic or BBQ just isn’t complete without some variation on the mayonnaise-based salad. And because I’m not a big meat eater I’m often the incredibly unhealthy girl that makes a meal out of macaroni or potato salad, corn on the cob, and some equally carbolicious item. I love a good steak every once and awhile, but it’s no match for my favorite condiment.

Today I decided to do a variation on a favorite salad my parents made when we were growing up: Tequila Berry Salad. The name is a bit misleading as it contains neither tequila nor berries, but my understanding is that it got its name from the restaurant that served it. The original (at least the one we make in my family) is comprised of cauliflower, iceberg lettuce, bacon, and Parmesan cheese in a mayo-based dressing. However, I decided to switch it up by lightening the dressing, adding in tomato for flavor and color, and also substituted smokey tempeh strips for the bacon. The lightened dressing is my go-to base dressing for lighter salads. It replaces most of the mayonnaise with low fat plain yogurt and includes mustard powder, champagne vinegar, and honey for flavor. You can feel free to substitute white wine vinegar, but you’ll lose a little of the zinginess and subtle flavor it offers. If you’re all about the meat you can also keep the original bacon, but I found that when cooked till crisp and crumbled the tempeh was a nice stand in and added the right amount of smokiness.

About

Happy 2011! I'm Kelly, a 29-year-old cook and recent transplant to Chicago who likes to challenge her skills and her taste buds by whipping up meals that push her beyond her comfort zone. I especially love scratch cooking with local and high quality ingredients. I'm not afraid to fail in the kitchen because at the end of the day I'm only human.

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